MANCHESTER: The Kangaroos have rallied around rattled fullback Billy Slater as they look to turn their attention to their quarter-final against the USA this weekend.

Slater spoke publicly for the first time as CCTV footage emerged showing his retaliatory punch that floored a drunken patron of a Manchester nightclub, while his wife Nicole made an emotional statement on social media.

Slater won't face any sanctions from officials and will line up at fullback for Australia against Tomahawks on Saturday (Sunday, midnight, AEDT).

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Australian team manager Gareth Holmes said the Kangaroos' would turn their attention to the game.

"The player was clearly the victim here," Holmes said. "We will put this behind us and focus on Saturday's match against the USA." The Australians have had an unhappy time in Manchester, which has been their World Cup base. Players have felt restless at times, many are homesick and the week away in Ireland last week was supposed to be the perfect remedy to cure their uneasiness. The squad was given a chunk of time off in Dublin, which was meant to be their last real chance to unwind before heading into the finals.

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The players returned to Manchester on a chartered flight from Limerick only hours after thrashing Ireland 50-0 on Saturday. Some stayed at the hotel before going out in Manchester the following night.

Slater was detained by British police but was released without charge after an altercation outside popular nightspot Mojo Club – 10 minutes' walk from the Australian team hotel in Manchester – about 2.40am on Monday. The 40-year-old who allegedly struck the Kangaroos' fullback accepted a fixed penalty notice for drunken disorderly behaviour and was released, with Slater not pursing charges.

Slater described the attack as a "wake-up call" for him and his Kangaroos teammates.

"I think we've got to be aware of the situations that we find ourselves in," Slater said. "I suppose it's probably a bit of a wake-up call for everyone when we do go out but I hope what happened last night doesn't jeopardise anyone else going out and having a good time. That's certainly what I don't want.

"I'm not going to go into the details. I think the focus is on the wrong things already and I don't want to escalate that any further."

Visibly shaken from the incident, Slater did not leave his room until 6pm when he addressed the media.

I think the focus is on the wrong things already and I don't want to escalate that any further.

"You don't like to put yourself in these situations or find yourself in these situations," Slater said. "It is what it is. I'm hoping I can put it all behind me and move forward.

"I'm OK. [I'm in] no pain . . . I'm mostly disappointed that the focus is on this because we have been preparing for each game really diligently and I thought the performance on the weekend was quite good. That's my main disappointment." Slater, who was sporting a scratch near his left eye from the Australians' win against Ireland, said it was important that he spoke to his family.

The venue: The Mojo nightclub in Bridge Street, Manchester, where the scuffle took place. Photo: Michael Carayannis

"That was my main priority, to make sure my family knew that I was OK," he said. "It's pretty tough on them being on the other side of the world and hearing stuff like this. That was my main priority, to say that I was OK."

An employee from a takeaway kebab shop next door to the nightclub said they did not see the fight but police had asked for camera footage from the night.

Employees at another food shop said they heard about the fight from a regular customer who described it as "wild".

"Some man thought it was ok to punch my husband in the face because he thought he pushed in line," Nicole wrote on Instagram. "If he had king hit him and killed him I would have to raise my 2 kids alone.